Testers can’t upgrade if they have external USB devices orSD cards connected
Those trying to upgrade to the latest update for Windows 10 are finding their PC is being
blocked from making the move if they have an external USB device or an SD card
plugged into their machine.
blocked from making the move if they have an external USB device or an SD card
plugged into their machine.
Why? It seems that the May 2019 Update – which is still
in the final stages of testing, ahead of an expected release in May, naturally enough
(probably later in the month) – is suffering from a problem whereby all drives
can be inappropriately reassigned different letters if USB devices or SD cards
are connected to the PC.
in the final stages of testing, ahead of an expected release in May, naturally enough
(probably later in the month) – is suffering from a problem whereby all drives
can be inappropriately reassigned different letters if USB devices or SD cards
are connected to the PC.
As you’re probably aware, Windows gives
every drive attached to a computer a letter, whether that’s an internal hard
drive or SSD, optical drives, or indeed external drives such as USB sticks.
every drive attached to a computer a letter, whether that’s an internal hard
drive or SSD, optical drives, or indeed external drives such as USB sticks.
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And when upgrading to the May 2019 Update, it’s possible that these drive
letters can be changed, with potentially nasty side-effects.
letters can be changed, with potentially nasty side-effects.
Microsoft explains: “Example:
An upgrade to the May 2019 Update is tried on a computer that has the October
2018 Update installed and also has a thumb drive inserted into a USB port.
An upgrade to the May 2019 Update is tried on a computer that has the October
2018 Update installed and also has a thumb drive inserted into a USB port.
“Before
the upgrade, the device would have been mounted in the system as drive G based
on the existing drive configuration. However, after the upgrade, the device is
reassigned a different drive letter. For example, the drive is reassigned as
drive H.”
the upgrade, the device would have been mounted in the system as drive G based
on the existing drive configuration. However, after the upgrade, the device is
reassigned a different drive letter. For example, the drive is reassigned as
drive H.”
Internal hemorrhaging
Thereal sticking point is that this reassignment of drive letters isn’t limited toremovable hardware such as USB devices, but internal hard drives can also beaffected. In that case, you can imagine the potential damage when the PC is
looking for files on a certain drive which are no longer there because it has
been reassigned a different letter – or indeed if your system drive succumbs to
this fate, heaven forbid.
looking for files on a certain drive which are no longer there because it has
been reassigned a different letter – or indeed if your system drive succumbs to
this fate, heaven forbid.
So
you can understand why Microsoft has blocked upgrades in the case of computers
with such USB devices attached. Those who wish to upgrade their preview version
of Windows 10 can currently get around the block simply by unplugging any
external USB devices or SD cards, and restarting their machine, whereupon the
May 2019 Update should become available.
you can understand why Microsoft has blocked upgrades in the case of computers
with such USB devices attached. Those who wish to upgrade their preview version
of Windows 10 can currently get around the block simply by unplugging any
external USB devices or SD cards, and restarting their machine, whereupon the
May 2019 Update should become available.
Presumably,
the issue whereby internal drives are reassigned a different drive letter can’t
occur if there are no external devices plugged in.
the issue whereby internal drives are reassigned a different drive letter can’t
occur if there are no external devices plugged in.
Of course, this problem
should most definitely be solved (we would hope) by the time the May 2019
Update is released to the general computing public. The last thing Microsoft
needs is another disastrous issue like the filedeletion problemwhich hit the infamously bug-plagued October2018 Update, particularly as Microsoft has vowed to get things right this time around.
should most definitely be solved (we would hope) by the time the May 2019
Update is released to the general computing public. The last thing Microsoft
needs is another disastrous issue like the filedeletion problemwhich hit the infamously bug-plagued October2018 Update, particularly as Microsoft has vowed to get things right this time around.
Microsoft
observed: “This issue will be resolved in a future servicing update for Windows
10. For Windows Insiders [preview build testers], this issue is resolved in
build 18877 [which is still to be released] and later builds.”
observed: “This issue will be resolved in a future servicing update for Windows
10. For Windows Insiders [preview build testers], this issue is resolved in
build 18877 [which is still to be released] and later builds.”